Ball handling device with vanes for a billiard table



March 3, 1970 P. KOTLER 3,498,611

BALL HANDLING DEVICE WITH VANES FOR A BILLIARD TABLE Filed Jan. 15, 19684 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

lNl/EN TOR PA UL K0 TL ER 6441A M Mir- A 7'TORNE'V P. KQTLER BALLHANDLING DEVICE WITH VANES FOR A BILLIARD TABLE Filed Jan. 15, 1968 4Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTUR by PAUL KOTLER did/Z544 A TTORNEV P. 'KOTLERMarch 3, 1970 BALL HANDLING DEVICE WITH VANES FOR A BILLIARD TABLE 4Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 15, 1968 INVENTOR By PAUL [(07]. ER dab/fist 3Qmw ATTORNEY March 3, 1970 P. KOTLER 3,498,611

BALL HANDLING DEVICE WITH VANES FOR A BILLIARD TABLE Filed Jan. 15, 19684 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR By PAUL K0725? A TTORNEV United States PatentO 3,498,611 BALL HANDLING DEVICE WITH VANES FOR A BILLIARD TABLE PaulKotler, Irvington, NJ. 07111 Filed Jan. 15, 196 8, Ser. No. 697,856 Int.Cl. A63d 15/00 U.S. Cl. 27311 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Ballhandling apparatus for a coin operated billiard or pool table isdisclosed, which upon the initiation of a game, receives and stores eachpocketed game ball, returns a pocketed cue ball prior to the end of thegame, and retains a cue ball, that is pocketed after the pocketing ofthe last game ball. The aforesaid apparatus includes a plurality ofrotatable longitudinal vanes which vanes individually and sequentiallyreceive and store the pocketed game balls. Rotation of the vanesreleases the balls for further play and positions another vane toreceive subsequently pocketed game balls. The apparatus further includesmeans for detecting a pocketed cue ball and returning the same prior tothe end of a game and means for retaining the cue ball. The latter meanscooperates with the pocketed game balls to retain the cue ball at theend of the game.

BACKGROUND This invention relates to billiard tables and in particularto billiard table ball handling apparatus. Still more particularly, thisinvention relates to coin operated billiard table ball handlingapparatus that is more reliable in operation and less susceptible tofraud than the prior art tables and apparatus.

In order to be commercially successful, it is necessary 1) that the ballhandling apparatus of a coin operated billiard table operate reliably sothat each customer receives the full amount of game play to which he isentitled and for which he has paid, and (2) that the apparatus have aminimum susceptibility to fraudulent manipulations so that the tableowner receives the monetary deposit to which he is entitled for eachgame played on his table.

The conunercial use of coin operated billiard tables is characterized bythe following sequence of operations, (1) the deposit of the requiredcoin, (2) the dispensing to the players of the cue ball and the fifteen(15) game balls, (3) the pocketing of the game balls as play progresses,(4) the retention of each pocketed ball by the ball handling apparatus,(5) the return of a pocketed cue ball prior to the end of the game (thepocketing of the last game ball), and (6) the retention of a pocketedcue ball at the games end.

Coin operated billiard tables which operate in the manner characterizedin the preceding paragraph are known in the prior art. However, all aresusceptible, to varying degrees, of fraudulent manipulations so thatpocketed game balls are returned and made available for further play,rather than being retained within the billiard table until the requiredmonetary deposit is received for the next game.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of theinvention to provide a coin operated billiard table and ball handlingapparatus therefore that, following the deposit of the required coin,permits the intended quantity of game play to be made available to theplayers and, at the same time, offers a maximum of protection againstfraudulent operations.

In accordance with my invention, I provide coin operated billiard tableball handling apparatus having a plurality of spaced apart horizontallyaligned vanes comprising substantially flat horizontally aligned barswhich are parallel, with respect to their lengthwise axis, to eachother. One end of the vanes is aflixed to a disc whose face isperpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the vanes. The other end of thevanes is affixed to a spider having a leg unique to each vane and havingthe plane of the legs being oriented perpendicular to the vanes withrespect to their lengthwise axis.

The fiat surfaces of the vanes are oriented radially with respect to thedisc with the angles between the radii of each pair of adjacent vanesbeing approximately equal.

The center of the disc and the spider rotate about collinear axes. Therotation of the disc causes the vanes to travel in a circular path aboutthe axis of the disc, or the spider, when viewed from the end of thevanes. The circular travel of the vanes is such that following thedeposit of a coin and the operation of the coin apparatus to initiate agame, the disc and spider rotate and move the vanes in a circular are,when viewed from their ends, so that a vane is resting at the bottom oftheir defined circular path of travel with a flat surface of the bottomvane extending substantially downwardly. Subsequently, the pocketed gameballs are received by a pan spaced below the vanes, and each pocketedball comes to rest against the bottom most vane. This prevents the gameballs from being fraudulently returned for further play. At the end of agame, the entirety of the game balls are resting against the bottom mostvane. When the coin apparatus is activated for the next game, the discis rotated and the vanes advance one step in their circular path so thatthe currently bottom most vane advances and allows the game balls totravel via the downwardly inclined plane of the ball receiving pan tothe exit chute and are made available for play. The disc rotation andthe alignment of vanes following each operation of the coin mechanism issuch that a new vane is positioned with its fiat surface projectingsubstantially downwardly in order to receive the game balls subsequentlypocketed and thereby prevent their being fraudulently returned forfurther play without the deposit of another coin.

Thus, successive operations of the coin mechanism cause the disc and thevanes to rot-ate in a step by step manner, one step for each operation,and when viewed endwise, the vanes define a circular path of travel asthe shaft rotates. One of the vanes is at the bottom of said circleduring the play of each game. The bottom vane against which the pocketedgame balls are resting releases the balls for further play as the shaftadvances for the next game. This advancement moves an adjacent vane tothe bottom of said circle and the vane that was priorly at the bottomand against which the balls were resting advances upward.

My invention further includes facilities for detecting the pocketing ofthe last game ball and for subsequently preventing the further return ofa pocketed game ball. This feature prevents any further activity of anysort that involves the use of the cue ball on the table.

These and other objects and features of the invention may be betterunderstood from the following descrip tion thereof when read inconjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 comprises a plain view of my coin operated ball handlingapparatus.

FIG. 2 is a side view taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1 with the apparatusbeing shown in its rest position corresponding to that in which itremains during the play of a game.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 except that it illustrates the positionassumed by the various elements of FIG. 2 as a coin is deposited and themechanism advanced to release the game balls.

FIG. 4 is an end view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 illustratesthe details of the detector which precludes the return of a pocketed cueball following the pocketing of the last game ball.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION With reference to FIG. 1, a billiardtable frame is shown which supports the coin apparatus 12 and the ballhandling apparatus, 14. With reference to FIG. 4 as well as FIG. 1,apparatus 14 comprises a plurality of vanes 16a, 16b and 160 which arealigned lengthwise parallel to each other and parallel to the horizontalas shown on FIG. 1. The right end of the vanes are oriented as shown inFIGS. 1 and 4 and are aflixed to a spider 74 which is rotatably attachedto shaft 18 which, by means of nut 18a, is attached to frame member 19.The left end of the vanes, as shown on FIG. 1, are aflixed to disc 71which is rotatably attached to shaft 17. The threaded end of shaft 17protrudes through disc 20 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) and frame member 63 and isheld affixed thereto by means of nut 17a. Inner disc 71 is parallel todisc 20, is rotatable about shaft 17 and is attached to studs 20a, b,and c, and disc 20 so that discs 20 and 71 rotate together about shaft17.

The pocketed balls enter the intake chute portion 24a of pan 24, travelleftwards on FIG. 1 through apparatus 26, to the portion 24b of pan 24.On FIG. 1, as a ball travels leftwards past member 80, it is deflectedrearwardly by the end of member 80. With reference to FIG. 4, pan 24 isinclined downwardly to the right so that a ball entering portion 24b,falls down step 24c and would, except for vane 16c, continue to traveldownwards to the right towards the edge 24a of pan 24. With reference toFIG. 1, pan 24 is inclined downwardly so that its left portion 24a islower than its right portion 24f. Thus, except for vanes 16, a ballentering portion 24b of pan 24 of FIG. 1 would roll downwardly to rearedge 24d, then leftwards to the rear left corner 24c, and would fall toexit chute 28 and be returned for game play. With reference to FIG. 4,vane 160 is positioned so that when a ball enters pan portion 24b andfalls down step 24c, it is retained from further downward travel to theright by vane 16c. Because of the downward and leftward slope of pan 24on FIG. 1, the first pocketed ball travels to the left end of vane 160until it strikes disc 71. Each subsequently pocketed game ball travelsin a corresponding manner and, under the influence of vane 16c, comes torest against the right side of the immediate priorly pocketed game ball.

As subsequently described, apparatus 26 permits the pocketed game ballsto pass there through to pan 24, but prevents a cue ball from followingthe same path and instead, returns it for play via exit chute 30.However, the cue ball is not returned if all game balls have beenpocketed and have passed through apparatus 26. Thus, at the terminationof a game, the pocketed game balls are resting against vane 16c and areoriented in a line extending from left to right on FIG. 1. The pocketedcue ball is also resting against apparatus 26 and is blocked from chute30.

As subsequently described, discs 71 and 20 are connected by studs 20a,20b, and 200 which cooperate with detent 32a in bar 32 (FIG. 2) so thatsuccessive coin deposits and operations of the coin mechanism 12, causebar 32 and its detent 32a to move disc 20 in a step by step mannercounterclockwise as shown on FIG. 2. Each operation of the coinmechanism 12 advances disc 20 one such step so that each stud (20a, 20band 20c) advances counterclockwise one step as shown on FIG. 2 to theposition formerly occupied by its adjacent counterclockwise stud.

Since the vanes 16, 16b and 16c are afiixed to disc 71, each steppedrotation of the disc 20 cause the vanes to advance counterclockwise onestep as shown on FIG. 4. Thus, a single operation of the coin mechanismwould advance the disc 20 and the vanes so that vane 160 of FIG. 4,would travel to and assume the position occupied by vane 16a on FIG. 4.Also, vane 16a would then be in the position shown for vane 16b.

The counterclockwise advance of vane 16c one step on FIG. 4 permits allpocketed game balls to travel downwardly towards the rear portion 24d ofpan 24, thence towards the left portion 24c (FIG. 1) of the pan to theexit chute 28 by means of which they are made available for game play.The subsequently pocketed game balls are then restrained by vane 16b inthe same manner as priorly described for vane 160 on FIG. 4.

The step 240 of pan 24 increases fraud protection so that a slighttilting of the table will not permit the game balls to move to the lefton FIG. 4 to pan portion 24b, and thence towards the right on FIG. 1 andbe returned to play via exit chute 30.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, detector 34 is provided to detectthe pocketing of the last game ball so that a subsequently pocketed cueball will not be returned to play via chute 30. Detector 34 includesstuds 35 and 36 each of which is affixed to bar 37 which is configuredin the manner shown on FIGS. 1, 4 and 5. Bar 37 is, by means of pin 38,pivotably mounted to the yoke 39 whose top portion (FIG. 5) is aflixedas shown on FIG. 1 to pan portion 24b. The portion 37a of bar 37 isheavier and longer than portion 37b. Since the bar pivots about pin 38,this normally maintains the end 37a down and the portion 37b up withrespect to the pivot 38. Studs 35 and 36 cooperate with suitably pinchedopenings in pan portions 24b and 24a. Since the bar portion 37b isnormally higher than portion 37a, pin 35 normally protrudes above thesurface of pan portion 24b while pin 36 is normally below the surface ofpan portion 24a. However, the last game ball to be pocketed, depressespin 35 downwardly and pin 36 upwardly so that it extends above the panportion 24a. Pin 36 then prevents the return via chute 32 of asubsequently pocketed cue ball. Guide 40 deflects the pocketed ballsentering via pan portion 24a towards apparatus 26 which is adjustable byscrew 41 so that only game balls pass therethrough to pan portion 24b.With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, spring 42 is mounted by its ends toframe member 43. Game balls are slightly smaller than cue balls. Thispermits screw 41. and tab 26a to be adjusted about corner 26 of frame 43to depress spring 42 to the extent required for it to pass game ballsbut not cue balls. A cue ball is blocked from passing therethrough andinstead passes via chute 30 and is returned to play provided stud 36 isnot raised to indicate that play has been terminated by the last gameball pocketed depressing stud 35. Frame member 43 includes a tab 26ahaving a slot which receives screw 41 as shown on FIG. 4. Frame member43 may be bent slightly about its corner 26 when screw 41 is loosened,tab 26a is adjusted to deflect cue balls, and screw 41 is retightened.

Coin apparatus 12 includes a guide member 50, a slide 51, a coin hole52, and an L shaped member 53 which may be moved rearwardly on FIG. 1when slide 51 is depressed following the deposit of a coin in hole 52.Spring 54 is attached at its rear end (FIG. 1) to member 57 and frame56. The tension provided by spring 54 returns member 53 and slide 50forward following the insertion of a coin and the operation of the coinmechanism.

Member 53 is attached by rivet 59 to member 58 whose right end portion58a is upwardly bent and atfixed by screw 75 to bar 32. Each operationof the coin mechanism moves members 53, 58 and bar 32 rearwardly(FIG. 1) following which they are moved forwardly to rotate vanes 16a,16b and one step and release the balls to initiate a new game.

With reference to FIG. 2, the vertical member 58:: is afiixed by rivets70 to bar slide 61 which is slideably retained by guides 62 againstframe 63. Screw 75 permits bar 32 to rotate with respect to member 58a,while guides 62 permit slide 61 and member 58a to travel to the right onFIG. 2 which, together with FIG. 3, illustrate the details of theapparatus that moves the vanes step by step under the influence of thecoin mechanism.

FIG. 2 illustrates the normal position of the apparatus prior to thedeposit of a coin and the operation of the coin mechanism. Spring 73 isattached to the right end of bar 32 and urges the left end of bar 32downward so that its notch 32a engages stud 20c. Bracket 64 prevents bar32 from rotating clockwise from upwards pressure exerted by stud 20b.This prevents the vanes from prematurely rotating counterclockwise. Bar65 is rotatably afiixed at point 66 to frame 63, and its left end isupwardly urged by spring 67 whose upper end is attached to bracket 68which is aflixed to frame 63. The notch 65a in bar 65 cooperates withstud 20a and, under the influence of spring 67, prevents the vanes fromrotating clockwise. Notches 65c and 65b in bar 65 comprise additionalfraud protection devices. Their function is to prevent disc 20 frombeing partially rotated counterclockwise to release the balls and thenbeing fraudulently rotated clockwise to prevent the collection of acoin. With notch 650, for example, as soon as stud 20c rotatescounterclockwise and engages the notch, it is impossible to fraudulentlyreturn disc and stud 20c clockwise to their starting position shown onFIG. 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates the orientation of elements of FIG. 2 following theinsertion of a coin, the depression of coin slide 51 and the movement ofelements 53, 58, 58a and 32 to the extremity of their rearward travel onFIG. 1 and their rightward travel of FIG. 3. Bar slide 61 is also shownin the extremity of its rightward travel on FIG. 3. In this position,the rightward travel of bar 32 causes it to rotate slightly clockwiseuntil its notch 32a engages stud 20b, at which time bar 32 movessomewhat counterclockwise under the influence of spring 73.

The apparatus remains positioned as shown on FIG. 3 until the coin slide51 is released. At that time slide 51 moves forward because of spring54, while bar 32 and slide 61 on FIG. 3 move to the left because of thetension provided by spring 69. The leftward travel of bar 32 moves stud20b and the vanes counterclockwise one step so that stud 20b finallyassumes the position shown for stud 20c. At the termination of itsleftward travel, the apparatus of FIG. 3 returns to the orientationshown on FIG. 2 except that each stud has advanced one stepcounterclockwise. The game balls pocketed during this game arerestrained by vane 16b (FIG. 5 in the same manner as described for vane160.

The pn'orly described operations are repeated for each operation of thecoin mechanism and, in response thereto, the apparatus of FIGS. 1, 2 and3 rotates the vanes one step counterclockwise upon the initiation ofeach new game.

The invention as described above is the preferred embodiment of theinvention. Numerous changes and modifications by those skilled in theart can be made to the embodiment described above without departing fromthe spirit or scope of the invention as described in the disclosure andappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Ball handling apparatus for a billiard table comprising an intakechute for receiving balls from said table, an exit chute, a paninterconnecting said chutes and inclined so that a ball received by saidpan from said intake chute is urged to roll downwardly towards said exitchute, each of said chutes and pan having a ball support surface, saidsurfaces of said chutes and pan being continuously interconnected, aplurality of rotatable elongated vanes positioned over said pan betweensaid chutes and any one thereof being effective one at a time during thecourse of a game for preventing all balls received by said pan fromreaching said exit chute, each of said vanes being of a size tosimultaneously engage a plurality of balls, and means for altering theposition of said vanes with respect to said pan so that the currentlyeffective one of said vanes permits all of the balls on said pan to rollto said exit chute and so that another one of said vanes is positionedto prevent subsequently pocketed balls received by said pan fromreaching said exit chute.

2. Ball handling apparatus for a billiard table comprising an intakechute for receiving pocket balls from said table, an exit chute, a paninterconnecting said chutes and inclined so that a pocketed ballreceived by said pan from said intake chute is urged to roll downwardlytowards said exit chute, each of said chutes and pan having a ballsupport surface, said surfaces of said chutes and pan being continuouslyinterconnected, a plurality of rotatable elongated vanes positioned oversaid pan between said chutes and having their lengthwise axes paralellto each other, each of said vanes being of a size to simultaneouslyengage a plurality of balls, means for controlling the position of saidvanes so that each of said vanes is individual to a game played on saidtable and effecitve during the course thereof for preventing all ballsreceived by said pan from reaching said exit chute, said controllingmeans including means effective for advancing the position of said vanesso that said effective vane releases all balls on said pan to said exitchute and for causing another one of said vanes to be individuallyeffective during the next game for preventing balls received by said panfrom reaching said exit chute.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a downward step on said pan isencountered by a ball rolling towards the vanecurrently positioned toblock balls from said exit chute, and said step permits alignment ofsaid balls in a pattern against said positioned vane.

4. Ball handling apparatus for a billiard table comprising an intakechute for receiving pocketed balls from said table, an exit chute, a paninterconnecting said chutes and inclined so that a pocketed ballreceived by said pan from said intake chute is urged to roll downwardlytowards said exit chute, a plurality of elongated vanes positioned oversaid pan and having their lengthwise axes parallel to each other, afirst disc connected to a first end of each of said vanes with theintersection of said disc and said vanes defining a plane perpendicularto the lenghtwise axis of said vanes, said disc being rotatable aboutits center within said plane, the inter-' section of each of said vaneswith said disc being equidistant from said center, a spider having legsdefining a plane parallel to said disc, means for connecting the otherend of each of said vanes to an individual leg of said spider, saidspider being rotatable about its center on an axis collinear with saidcenter of said disc, and positionng means for causing one of said vanesat a time to be lower than all of said other vanes and closer to saidpan so that said one vane is individually effective during the play of agame on said table for preventing the balls received by said pan fromreaching said-exit chute.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said positioning means comprisesmeans for rotating said disc and said spider in a step by step mannerabout their collinear axes of rotation so that at the initiation of eachstep said lowermost vane travels upwards in a semicircular path torelease the balls on said pan and permit them to roll downwards to saidexit chute.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said positioning means furthercomprises, a second disc spaced apart from and parallel to said firstdisc and having its center collinear with that of said first disc, aplurality of studs interconnecting said two discs and being lengthwiseperpendicular to said discs, each of said studs being of equal distancefrom the center of each disc, and reciprocating means for engaging eachof said studs sequentially 7 to rotate said discs in a step by stepmanner about their centers.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a downward step on said pan isencountered by a ball rolling towards the vane currently positioned toblock balls from said exit chute.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in combination with a cue ball exit chute,detector means intermediate said intake chute and said pan, saiddetector means adapted to detect a difference in size between a cue balland game balls, said detector means passing only pocketed game balls andcausing pocketed cue balls to be returned for play via said cue ballexit chute.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, in combination with means for detecting thereception by said pan of the last game ball and means for subsequentlyblocking a pocketed cue ball from said cue ball exit chute.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 in combination with means effectivesubsequent to the partial forward rotation of' said discs upon theinitiation of a step by step advancement for preventing said discs frombeing fraudulently rotated in a reverse direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 902,151 10/1908 Hepton 273-111,313,783 8/1919 Blackburn 273-125 3,096,981 7/1963 Fischer 273l13,424,456 l/1969 Daddis 27311 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner T.ZACK, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

